Conventionally, in an absorbent article such as a pant-type diaper, a liquid-impermeable sheet of polyethylene and the like is used. Generally, the liquid-impermeable sheet is particularly hard even among sheets that configure the absorbent article. Therefore, as compared to a soft sheet, the liquid-impermeable sheet does not easily follow the movement of a wearer, and causes a decline in comfort when the absorbent article is worn.
Therefore, a technique of softening the liquid-impermeable sheet, by reducing the thickness of a continuous body of the liquid-impermeable sheet with the use of an embossing roll mechanism, is known (for example, see PTL 1).
The embossing roll mechanism includes a first embossing roll having a plurality of zigzag shaped first tooth units on a surface along a roll axis direction, and a second embossing roll arranged on the opposite side of the first embossing roll with sandwiching the continuous body, and having a plurality of zigzag shaped second tooth units on a surface along the roll axis direction.
When the continuous body passes between the first embossing roll and the second embossing roll, the continuous body is pressed (embossed) by interfitting of the plurality of second tooth units between the plurality of first tooth units. Because the continuous body is sandwiched between the plurality of first tooth units and the plurality of second tooth units, only the amount of the unevenness of the tooth units is stretched in a thickness direction of the continuous body. The basis weight per unit volume (mass per unit area) of the continuous body declines by stretching, and therefore, the continuous body becomes soft.